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Thread: 2016 Presidential Election

  1. #31
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    Some of those things like dodging bullets or being a Yankees fan are pretty silly. All politicians exaggerate. I'm not a Clinton apologist either, but I do think that she's smart, competent and will be an effective president.

  2. #32
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    She's VERY intelligent. She did what I think was a really good job as Sec'y of State. But she just didn't impress me during the Obama/Clinton primaries. I thought she did a shit job at debate and it surprised me. Maybe she'll do better this time and pleasantly surprise me. Her responses to some tough questions given during her book tour were nasty responses, not good PR. She has a nasty side like McCain. A grumpy gruff side that's almost evasive in a bad way.

    I'd still like Warren better. But I haven't seen her debate in a presidential primary. She may stink.

    I love Bernie Sanders but he's too radical for the majority of America.
    Last edited by allegro; 01-14-2015 at 09:40 PM.

  3. #33
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    Amazing how people can support Romney even after his infamous "47 percent" video. Behind closed doors he states that nearly half of all voters are losers who won't take personal responsibility for their lives and that he doesn't worry about them--yet nearly half of all voters still went for him. Go figure. Romney doesn't give a fuck about you, is that not clear?

  4. #34
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    Amen to that. They think because he's rich, he has some magic formula that's gonna make ALL OF US RICH, TOO! Except he doesn't have a fucking clue, he has his dad's money and he intends on keeping it and he don't give a fuck about you old or poor people. He's a spoiled brat. This is just on his Bucket List.

  5. #35
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    His VP nominee was/is an Ayn Rand fanboy, that says it all.

  6. #36
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    I have a confession to make.

    I was an Ayn Rand fanboy in high school. I believed that i was part of the elite, because, hey, i won all the awards and whatnot.

    But pretty quick after getting into the real world, my views changed. I made a full on 180.

    And like @RhettButler said, "that says it all."

    To me, objectivism = the tea party = SATANISM.

    Yep, that's right. satanism.

    I'm not talking about theistic satanism, mind you...not the kind with goat's heads and black magic and serving Lucifer.

    Rather, i mean that rand's philosophy is very similar to Anton Lavey's.

    If you've read the satanic bible and a bit of rand and then listened to the ideology of the tea party, you will see the correlations.

    I honestly believe that the tea party is EVIL. Their values are, for the most part, the opposite of mine, and piss on everything i hold sacred.

    And then these right wingers have the balls to claim fucking MORAL SUPERIORITY? Also, being a right wing conservative goes hand in hand with being a christian these days. It just blows my mind.

    Their brand of Christianity is all about judgement: they are against gays and abortion and that sort of thing. They miss the whole fucking point of the religion, which is ALTRUISM and LOVE.

    Sorry for going off on a tangent there.

    (gets off soapbox)

  7. #37
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    @elevenism --you were in high school, so you get a pass.

  8. #38
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    Quote Originally Posted by elevenism View Post
    To me, objectivism = the tea party
    Well, but Paul Ryan wasn't hardcore Tea Party, his budget ideas were based on some stupid economics that make zero financial sense but he isn't Ted Cruz hardcore Tea Party. He said he believed in Rand's idea of the "morality of Capitalism" and he's especially a proponent of laissez faire capitalism, which is not only important to the Tea Party but also to Libertarians.

    He has since, however, toned that down quite a bit when he was advised / realized that it was wrecking his political career, and perhaps he has learned some real economics, not just Atlas Shrugged economics.

    Of course, he helped stop the sequester. And, he's now the Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, so the Republican Tea Party people don't really like him, anymore. But he's still the darling of Evangelical Protestants in Wisconsin.

    The Tea Party members are really just hardcore pretend libertarians running under the Republican party ticket because they know they'd never win as Libertarians and none of them are Rand Objectivists. REAL Libertarians are guys like Rand Paul, also a Republican, but I don't think he likes Rand at ALL. Both of these groups want less government, less taxes, less regulation, but the Tea Party is specifically demanding the reduction of the national debt and the Federal budget deficit. And Tea Party candidates running under the Republican ticket are pretty much expected to tow the Republican conservative platform pro-life line, although there are a few exceptions. The gay marriage thing has now become a hot potato that nobody is touching since the Supreme Court has already made it a non-issue.

    Fucking two-party system, ugh.
    Last edited by allegro; 01-14-2015 at 11:22 PM.

  9. #39
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    Quote Originally Posted by allegro View Post

    REAL Libertarians are guys like Rand Paul, also a Republican, but I don't think he likes Rand at ALL.

    Fucking two-party system, ugh.
    Ron Paul is his father, right?
    I watched the republican debates last year (yes, i am THAT into politics around election season,) and thought that Ron Paul had the most interesting ideas.
    Do they share the same ideology?

    Two party system. Sigh.

    I don't even think it's really that anymore. I fear that government has devolved into something that is quite literally for sale.

    That's what bothers me about this young country. It may have been founded on good and benevolent ideals.

    But it was raised and grew on pure greed.

  10. #40
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    Same everywhere I'm afraid. Differing systems means different failsafes to prevent corruption and conflicts of interest, but eventually there are a thousand ways to circumvent or simply ignore those, it's like trying to filter a flood. Too many people interested in twisting a government's arm...

  11. #41
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    Quote Originally Posted by elevenism View Post
    Ron Paul is his father, right?
    I watched the republican debates last year (yes, i am THAT into politics around election season,) and thought that Ron Paul had the most interesting ideas.
    Do they share the same ideology?

    Two party system. Sigh.

    I don't even think it's really that anymore. I fear that government has devolved into something that is quite literally for sale.

    That's what bothers me about this young country. It may have been founded on good and benevolent ideals.

    But it was raised and grew on pure greed.
    Thanks to your Supreme Court (Citizens United & McCutcheon).

  12. #42
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    Wondering if Cruz will run. He knows that he won't win the nomination of course. Then Santorum might make an unwelcome return.

  13. #43
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    Quote Originally Posted by elevenism View Post
    I have a confession to make.

    I was an Ayn Rand fanboy in high school. I believed that i was part of the elite, because, hey, i won all the awards and whatnot.

    But pretty quick after getting into the real world, my views changed. I made a full on 180.

    And like @RhettButler said, "that says it all."

    To me, objectivism = the tea party = SATANISM.

    Yep, that's right. satanism.

    I'm not talking about theistic satanism, mind you...not the kind with goat's heads and black magic and serving Lucifer.

    Rather, i mean that rand's philosophy is very similar to Anton Lavey's.

    If you've read the satanic bible and a bit of rand and then listened to the ideology of the tea party, you will see the correlations.

    I honestly believe that the tea party is EVIL. Their values are, for the most part, the opposite of mine, and piss on everything i hold sacred.

    And then these right wingers have the balls to claim fucking MORAL SUPERIORITY? Also, being a right wing conservative goes hand in hand with being a christian these days. It just blows my mind.

    Their brand of Christianity is all about judgement: they are against gays and abortion and that sort of thing. They miss the whole fucking point of the religion, which is ALTRUISM and LOVE.

    Sorry for going off on a tangent there.

    (gets off soapbox)
    i just want to throw out there a few things that seem to be confused. For one Ayn Rand outspokenly hated liberatarianism and resented their claim to her philosophy.

    Also it is true that objectivism is the name is of one of ayn rands philosophy but it is actually a definition of the state of reality, (that there is one true reality, and therefore a correct answer to every question) not an economic guideline.

    Finally what i think a lot of people ig.ore about her is how she valued absolute and total creativity and artistic expression, a value I see reflected a lot here on ETS. So, while she had some nut job ideas about financial systems, she had many philosophies that had nothing to do with politics, and i think that gets lost in todays modern perception of her.

  14. #44
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    Quote Originally Posted by RhettButler View Post
    Wondering if Cruz will run. He knows that he won't win the nomination of course. Then Santorum might make an unwelcome return.
    Cruz will run for sure.
    Both McCain and George Romney weren't born in the US. Both made a run for POTUS.

  15. #45
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    Quote Originally Posted by Deepvoid View Post
    Cruz will run for sure.
    Both McCain and George Romney weren't born in the US. Both made a run for POTUS.
    Re McCain: http://www.michiganlawreview.org/art...tizen-at-birth

    Re George Romney: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_...68#Eligibility

    Note that only ONE of Ted Cruz' parents (his mother) is a natural-born U.S. Citizen. His father was born in Cuba. (BOTH of George Romney's and John McCain's parents were natural-born U.S. Citizens.)
    Last edited by allegro; 01-15-2015 at 03:51 PM.

  16. #46
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    Quote Originally Posted by Wretchedest View Post
    i just want to throw out there a few things that seem to be confused. For one Ayn Rand outspokenly hated liberatarianism and resented their claim to her philosophy.

    Also it is true that objectivism is the name is of one of ayn rands philosophy but it is actually a definition of the state of reality, (that there is one true reality, and therefore a correct answer to every question) not an economic guideline.

    Finally what i think a lot of people ig.ore about her is how she valued absolute and total creativity and artistic expression, a value I see reflected a lot here on ETS. So, while she had some nut job ideas about financial systems, she had many philosophies that had nothing to do with politics, and i think that gets lost in todays modern perception of her.
    We're not really discussing what Ayn Rand thinks (er, thought); we're discussing what the Tea Party and Libertarians think, for the record. Libertarians generally don't follow Ayn Rand, and the Tea Party isn't standing around giving away copies of Atlas Shrugged. Paul Ryan said that HE handed out copies of Atlas Shrugged, but he's not a member of the Tea Party, he's a Protestant Evangelical Republican (and, of course, Rand was an atheist). Oddly enough, the biggest thing he got out of Ayn Rand was her "nut job ideas about financial systems" LOL, wtf. I think he's finally coming to his senses, though. I think @elevenism might have been confused about the Tea Party but he seems to be learning some stuff.
    Last edited by allegro; 01-15-2015 at 04:04 PM.

  17. #47
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    Quote Originally Posted by elevenism View Post
    Ron Paul is his father, right?
    I watched the republican debates last year (yes, i am THAT into politics around election season,) and thought that Ron Paul had the most interesting ideas.
    Do they share the same ideology?]
    Welp, if you're really into politics, you watch ALL the debates, yeah. Ron Paul, see this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Paul

  18. #48
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    sentiments like "Jeb Bush wouldn't be as bad as Romney" make me feel so fucked... I understand the reality of what we're dealing with, I just will never understand how we got here.

  19. #49
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    Quote Originally Posted by allegro View Post
    Welp, if you're really into politics, you watch ALL the debates, yeah. Ron Paul, see this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Paul
    @allegro , yeah, i know who ron paul is...i'm from texas, remember?
    One of my best friends has been campaigning for him forever and trying to convert me.

    I don't know where you would get the idea that i was confused about the tea party though.
    As far as i could tell, the movement started out being about debt and taxation and fiscal responsibility, and eventually began to encompass right wing conservative populism in general...unless i'm missing something.

    AND some of them like to wave around signs that say "I am John Galt" and "Read Ayn Rand" and claim that the "prophecy" of atlas shrugged is happening today.
    @Wretchedest , when you are talking about Objectivism, you are talking about Ayn Rand's entire movement...not just the metaphysical (one true reality, a is a) part of it. Another part of it IS a financial blueprint (see Government Finance In a Free Society, The Virtue of Selfishness.)

    Also, Ron Paul pretty much started the tea party. When i say he has interesting ideas though, i mean in terms of drug legalization and avoiding foreign entanglements...most of his ideas are abhorrent.

    edit: also, as far as Rand and creativity, yes, The Romantic Manifesto had SOME good artistic ideals, but she also had VERY clear cut definitions of what is and isn't art, or what is good art and what is bad art...that sort of thing
    Last edited by elevenism; 01-15-2015 at 07:56 PM.

  20. #50
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jinsai View Post
    sentiments like "Jeb Bush wouldn't be as bad as Romney" make me feel so fucked... I understand the reality of what we're dealing with, I just will never understand how we got here.
    I assume you're not old enough to remember living through EIGHT FUCKING YEARS OF REAGAN.

    UGH.

    1968: Nixon wasn't as bad as Reagan
    Last edited by allegro; 01-15-2015 at 07:57 PM.

  21. #51
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    Quote Originally Posted by allegro View Post
    I assume you're not old enough to remember living through EIGHT FUCKING YEARS OF REAGAN.

    UGH.
    Reagan took office when I was one year old. My first memories of ideas like "politicians are terrible awful people!" revolved around Reagan... and I say this as someone who grew up in a Republican household.

  22. #52
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    We are the same age, @Jinsai .

    So where are people saying "bush wouldn't be as bad as romney?"

    that's fucking horrifying. honestly i believe the opposite.

  23. #53
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    Quote Originally Posted by elevenism View Post
    So where are people saying "bush wouldn't be as bad as romney?"
    Mitt Romney is the fakest fucking thing that's ever breathed air. Did any of you guys see that horrifying documentary Mitt on Netflix? Holy shit. He's like a living irony-free Norman Rockwell painting.

  24. #54
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jinsai View Post
    Mitt Romney is the fakest fucking thing that's ever breathed air. Did any of you guys see that horrifying documentary Mitt on Netflix? Holy shit. He's like a living irony-free Norman Rockwell painting.
    Oh, no no...i didn't because i thought it was PRO Mitt. Is it not?
    I'll go put that shit on right now...

  25. #55
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    Quote Originally Posted by elevenism View Post
    Oh, no no...i didn't because i thought it was PRO Mitt. Is it not?
    I'll go put that shit on right now...

    I think it was intended to be pro-Mitt... as in, he actually signed off and thought it was gee-shucks just dandy.... and didn't realize that it made him look like a sociopathic version of Leave it to Beaver.

  26. #56
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    Quote Originally Posted by elevenism View Post
    @allegro , yeah, i know who ron paul is...i'm from texas, remember?
    One of my best friends has been campaigning for him forever and trying to convert me.

    I don't know where you would get the idea that i was confused about the tea party though.
    From your diatribe about Satanism. That's total confusion, bro.

    Ron Paul didn't start the Tea Party; the Tea Party movement isn't a real thing, it's a movement that was partly started on some of the ideals of Ron Paul, but that's up for grabs, depends on whose history book you're looking at. Compare Michelle Bachman, Sarah Palin, Marco Rubio, etc., to Ron Paul, and you have a bunch of completely different animals. Ron Paul wants to LEGALIZE DRUGS. Ask Michelle Bachman if she wants to legalize drugs, go ahead, I'll wait here.

    Here, see this.
    Last edited by allegro; 01-15-2015 at 08:15 PM.

  27. #57
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jinsai View Post
    I think it was intended to be pro-Mitt... as in, he actually signed off and thought it was gee-shucks just dandy.... and didn't realize that it made him look like a sociopathic version of Leave it to Beaver.
    those are the best documentaries about people who are tools.

    He looks like a sociopathic version of leave it to beaver just looking at his fucking face, btw.

  28. #58
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    Quote Originally Posted by allegro View Post
    From your diatribe about Satanism. That's total confusion, bro.

    Ron Paul didn't start the Tea Party; the Tea Party movement isn't a real thing, it's a movement that was partly started on some of the ideals of Ron Paul, but that's up for grabs, depends on whose history book you're looking at. Compare Michelle Bachman, Sarah Palin, Marco Rubio, etc., to Ron Paul, and you have a bunch of completely different animals. Ron Paul wants to LEGALIZE DRUGS. Ask Michelle Bachman if she wants to legalize drugs, go ahead, I'll wait here.

    Here, see this.
    oh i know Ron Paul wants to legalize drugs. That's what i meant, that was one of his interesting ideas.

    I don't feel confused comparing Rand to Lavey to the Tea Party.

    The clear cut parallel is self interest being the highest value.

  29. #59
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jinsai View Post
    Reagan took office when I was one year old. My first memories of ideas like "politicians are terrible awful people!" revolved around Reagan... and I say this as someone who grew up in a Republican household.
    Reagan was the worst fucking President in the last 75 years. Period. What a total piece of shit. War on Drugs my ass. We're still suffering from his trickle-down economics bullshit. But people have Reagan Amnesia.

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    Quote Originally Posted by elevenism View Post
    oh i know Ron Paul wants to legalize drugs. That's what i meant, that was one of his interesting ideas.

    I don't feel confused comparing Rand to Lavey to the Tea Party.

    The clear cut parallel is self interest being the highest value.
    The Tea Party is originally tied to Rick Santelli and the economy. You can tie self-interest to CAPITALISM. CAPITALISM. You don't get any more fucking self-interest than fucking capitalism, brother. Trickle-down economics, fuck socialism, it's all self-interest. The United States is based on individualism. SELF-INTEREST. EXCEPTIONALISM. You talk about Texas and how great it is, that's Exceptionalism, brother; that's still self-interest. We all do it to a certain extent. Christianity? Put God first? What's that? It's just satanism flipped in the reverse, what's the difference. Socialism has no deity, it puts the people first, equally. In countries with the opposite of individualism, the nail that stands up gets nailed back down. Here, everybody wants to stand out. That's self-interest. The land of SELFIES.

    Even organized labor, the brotherhood, eventually gets corrupted by human nature, greed.
    Last edited by allegro; 01-15-2015 at 08:28 PM.

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